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Peavy pleased after throwing batting practice

Peavy pleased after throwing batting practice

Jake Peavy

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GLENDALE, Ariz. -- If Jordan Danks had a vote on where Jake Peavy starts the 2011 regular season, then the veteran right-hander would break camp with the White Sox.

"It looked like he picked up right where he left off last year," said Jordan, who was one of three hitters to face Peavy during Monday's live batting practice after going against Peavy twice during last year's Spring Training. "He looked good to me."

While Danks holds the White Sox respect for his on-field ability, he won't be surveyed before a decision is made on Peavy. But terming Monday's 40-pitch effort against Danks, Brandon Short and Stefan Gartrell as "a big step," Peavy seemed encouraged that his recovery from season-ending surgery for a detached latissimus dorsi muscle in his right shoulder was pointing toward no time away from the team when this promising campaign begins.

"Jumping on the mound vs. hitters, putting more on the ball, I threw some breaking balls for the first time," said Peavy, explaining Monday's effort at what he believed was about 75 percent off the mound with the standard screen in front of him. "I threw fastball, changeup.

"But I was putting more on the ball today than I had in previous times off the mound, so it was obviously a nice climb. We did that without any kind of pain or any setback. I was no different than any other guy."

Peavy traveled to Alabama this past weekend to attend his grandmother's funeral. He threw a side session there Saturday in order to stay on schedule.

Manager Ozzie Guillen was impressed by what he saw, adding how the White Sox will know more about Peavy when he makes his first Cactus League start March 4 in Tempe against the Angels and starts to build up his innings. But as Guillen pointed out, it's not so much how Peavy looks, but how he feels.

So while Peavy's effort was strong, how he bounces back and feels on Tuesday will be just as important.

"Tomorrow will kind of be a measuring stick to see where we're at, how the lat and the rest of the shoulder bounces back," Peavy said. "I expect there to be soreness, but everybody in camp's going to be sore. I just hope it's the right kind of soreness and we don't have any setbacks."

"The only guy who can give you that information is him, and he looked nice and free," Guillen said. "He didn't look tight. He didn't look uncomfortable there. I like what I see. But like I say, he will have the last word. We have to trust what he does. We have to go by what he says. But I'm very happy and pleased he was facing hitters."